Chasing Chase
by doxthefog
Summary: Ryder is inventing a device that could change the world forever. When a test goes horribly wrong, Chase discovers he has a new ability. He can talk. Not only that, he discovers other dogs with the same ability. Now, Chase and Ryder must find a way to escape their kidnappers, flee the city and find a new home for 5 pups. Will it come at a price? *This story is complete on Wattpad*
1. Chapter 1

Chasing Chase

"Chase, dinner!"

 _Ugh, five more minutes…_

"Chase, come get dinner!" My ears perked up at the word 'dinner'. I yawned as I slowly opened my eyes and picked my head up. I sniffed and my tongue instinctively fell out of my mouth. _Mmm, bacon._ I got up and stretched my hind legs, and made my way downstairs, barking happily. When I got to the kitchen, I was greeted by my owner, and best friend. "Here you go, Chase. I made you your favorite." The second he set my bowl down, I went at it. _Ryder is the best person in the world,_ I thought to myself. "Eat up."

After dinner, I followed Ryder to the garage where he worked on his projects. They didn't always work, but it was still really interesting. Plus, I loved seeing the smile on Ryders face whenever he made a new invention. He let me help whenever I could.

"Can you get me the wrench, Chase?" I walked over to the tool box and got the wrench. "Thanks, bud." I have no idea what he was working on, but he said it could change the world forever. "Just have to tighten this one last bolt… Yes! Its done! Lets test it out. Chase, lights!" I barked twice which turned the lights off. Ryder turned on the machine, and it gave off a blue glow.

I'll admit, I was a bit scared, and even whimpered a little, but I had to show bravery, since I was a German shepherd. Suddenly, the machine made a really loud sound, almost like thunder. I yelped and hid behind Ryder. "Its alright, Chase. I'm here." I smelled something strange, almost like a burning plastic smell and I started barking to tell Ryder, but he couldn't hear me over the machine. I kept barking and tried to pull Ryder away from the machine, but he wouldn't move. The machine started making a high pitch sound that made Ryder and I cringe. He ran over to the machine and tried to turn it off. Sensing danger, I tackled Ryder and pushed him away just as the machine exploded. I was thrown back, and all I could see were flames around me. I hit something, a wall or the floor, hard.

"Chase, no!" And that was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chase! Chase wake up! Someone help us! Help! Fire! Someone help us! Chase…_

I woke with a start, pain ripping through my body. There were wooden beams all over me. I pushed them off with the little strength I had left. I could see fire all around.

 _Ryder_.

I could see him lying on the floor, a beam on top of him. The fire was getting closer to him.

 _Fire extinguisher_.

I looked around, turning in circles, slightly whimpering since I was stepping on glass. I finally spotted it. I didn't know how I was going to use it, but I knew it was the only way to stop the fire. I jumped up to it and pulled it down with all my weight. It turned on and I grabbed the nozzle, pointing it at the fire. It was all around us. Ryder wasn't waking up. The fire finally started dying down. Weakly, I walked over to Ryder, nuzzling him. I whimpered, and barked, trying to wake him up, but he wouldn't.

"Hello? Is anyone in here? I heard an explosion and want to make sure no one got hurt." I slowly stood up and barked as loud as I could. "Is that a dog? Hello?". I barked again, louder. "Oh my god!". The woman found us. She ran over, and I defensively stood in front of Ryder, growling.

"Its alright, puppy, I'm just trying to help." I stared at her with an intense look, and stepped aside, keeping an eye on her. If you hurt him in any way, you'll pay, I thought. I heard ambulance sirens getting closer. When the ambulance came, the woman helped pick up Ryder and put him on a stretcher. I limped behind the paramedics headed to the ambulance. Suddenly, a sharp, intense pain in my head. My vision blurred, and all I could hear was a high pitched ringing. I whined and barked in pain, struggling to stay conscious and keep going to the ambulance. The pain was too much, and I collapsed, pawing my head. Someone picked me up. I started barking frantically. I couldn't see anything, just a blur. I blacked out. _Ryder_...

A bright blinding light was the first thing I saw when I woke up. I was laying on a metal table, head between paws. My mouth felt dry. "I need water," I heard a voice say. I looked around the room, but saw no one there. I must be out of it. I figured I must be at the vet, and they probably gave me medicine. I could see charts and xrays hanging all around the room. The door opened, and a doctor came in with a nurse.

"Hey, boy, how are you feeling today?," she asked, walking up to me. I yipped. _What was that? I never yip. I must really be out of it._ "Feeling better, I see. Lets see if we can get you home." _Ryder. I completely forgot about Ryder. Is he in the hospital? Is he at home? Is he ok? Is he… No!_ I didn't want to think of what could've possibly happened. I whimpered, putting my head down. The nurse walked up to me with concern in her eyes.

"I think he's in pain, doctor." _Well of course I am. I miss my friend._ The doctor came over and looked at me, taking my left paw in her hand.

"Don't worry, we'll find your owner-". She looked at my dog tag. "-Chase." My ears instantly perked up and I licked her hand. I knew she would try to help.

She checked my fur, noting that there were a few small pieces burned off, but nothing major. When she touched my back right paw, I whimpered and moved away. I hadn't realized that I was hurt until now. "Ah, so this is the paw that hurts you. Lets wrap it up and get you home." She wrapped up my paw and it was good as new. I hopped down from the table and she led me out.

We walked out to the waiting room together. Well, she walked. I limped. "Go find your owner, Chase." I couldn't see Ryder anywhere. I looked up at the doctor with pleading eyes. "Can't find you owner?" She picked me up and walked to the middle of the room. "Does anyone know who the german shepherd pup belongs too?" Nobody answered. I whimpered. _Where's Ryder? Is he... dead?_ A tear dropped from my eye. "I'm sorry, Chase, I guess you'll have to stay at the shelter tonight. Don't worry, I'll pick you up in the morning, and we'll find your owner, ok?" I licked her cheek.

Little did I know, I shouldn't have trusted her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ryder POV:**

Its been 2 weeks since the accident. I'm finally well enough to go home today. I hope Chase has been ok. I know he had to have gone to the vet. That hit to the wall knocked him out.

When I got home, there was crime scene tape on the front door that read: 'Do not remove until September 13, 2014'. _Thats today,_ I thought. I teared the tape down and ran through the door. Chairs were knocked over, the TV was broken, and everything was out of place. _What were they looking for?_ I went down to the basement, and the exploded machine was gone. In fact, the basement was empty.

"Chase? Are you here?" No answer.

The FBI had been to my house looking for something. There was crime scene tape everywhere. My computer was missing. All my current projects were missing. Except one. I ran up to my room and opened a hidden panel in the wall. My secret hideout was still secure. I walked up to my backup computer and started putting in everything I knew about the machine, the explosion, and ran a program. _Maybe I can figure out what the FBI was looking for._ I looked through the security footage.

'The dog isn't here, sir.' said an FBI agent.

'We have to find that dog, and his owner. This information can't get out!' said another agent. He was holding my research.

I pulled up the backup research and went through everything again. When I realized what the broken machine did to Chase in the explosion, I was shocked.

Chase can talk. The chemicals used in the machine made Chase talk.

"My dog can talk!?" I was really happy and excited. I had created a device that can make animals talk! That's why the FBI wants Chase. They want to research him and use it on other animals. _Wait a minute,_ I thought. _Chase is missing_.

 _Chase..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chase POV:**

"Help! Someone help me!" I was trapped in a cage. Its been 2 weeks since that vet brought me here. She said she'd get me out the next day. She lied. I haven't eaten in a few days. I was tired, starving, and confused. Late last week, I discovered I could talk. I don't know if its in my head or not, but obviously, the shelter owners could hear someone talking because they came rushing in.

"Who's back here?" I didn't speak because dogs aren't technically supposed to talk. The man looked at me and smiled. "Aw, poor little puppy. Looks like todays the last day you can get adopted before we… give you some time to rest. Yeah. Rest. _ha ha ha, HA HA HA HA HA!"_ He's going to put me down tomorrow. I've know for a while. But I'm too weak to do anything about it. I started whimpering.

"Don't worry, Chase. You'll get out of here soon. Maybe you're owner will take me too." said Skye, licking my cheek. I blushed.

"Yeah! Maybe he'll take all of us!", said Rocky.

They, along with Marshall, Rubble, and Zuma were all brought in a few days after me, so they had a few more days before being put down. They all could talk, but they were able to do that since they were born, they told me. Sometimes, they'd give me their food, since I had an owner to go home to.

"Maybe, but I'm not sure how he'll feel about 6 talking dogs. I don't think he knows I talk yet." I said.

 _ **Later that night...**_

"Chase, can I talk to you. Alone?" Skye said.

"Sure." I said. We walked to the corner of the cage, where the other pups couldn't hear us.

"Aren't you scared? I mean, what if you're owner doesn't come? What if he forgot about you? What if-"

"RYDER WOULD NEVER FORGET ABOUT ME!" I yelled at her. "I don't know what kind of owner you had, but Ryder is the best person a dog could have! He'll come! You'll see!" I ran to the other side of the cage, and curled up to cry myself to sleep like I had since the first night I came here.

 _Ryder, I miss you,_ I thought. A tear slipped out of my eye as I slowly drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chase POV:**

 _ **The next morning…**_

"Chase! Where have you been?! I've been so worried about you!" Ryder says, hugging me. I whimper and bark softly in his ear. It feels so good to be in his arms. Suddenly, Ryder turns into the dog catcher.

"Ryder?" I yell.

"Good night, pup." He sticks a needle into my paw.

 _Darkness…_

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" I scream, jumping up and hitting my head on the cage wall. _It was just a dream. It was all a dream. Ryder…_ I start whimpering, and Marshall wakes up.

"Oh no, I forgot. I'm so sorry Chase." he said. He came over and hugged me, whimpering as well. Today was the day I was going to be put down. Ryder wasn't coming to get me. He had forgotten all about me. I whimper more at the thought.

"I have a plan." Skye says. My ears perk up. "We're busting out of here." She does a backflip and breaks the cage lock. She doesn't stick the landing. "Ow!"

"Skye!" The pups all stare at me in confusion. "I mean, are you alright?" _Why do I get so nervous around her?_

"I'm fine, wake up the others and lets get out of here!" she says. Marshall gets Rubble, Zuma and Rocky and we sneak out of the cage. Just when we thought we were in the clear, an alarm goes off.

"RUN!" I yell. We all run to the back door. All the dogs in the shelter are cheering us on as we try to make our escape. Skye gets on my back and jumps for the handle, unlocking the door. We run out into the darkness. _Its earlier than I thought._ The pups stare at me in confusion.

"Uhh… thanks for helping me get out pups, but I have an owner to get back to. Bye!". I turn to leave.

"Wait! What about us? We've never had an owner or even a home to live in. What are we supposed to do?" Rocky asks. They all stare at me with puppy dog eyes. I don't want to leave them, but I don't know if Ryder can handle all six of us.

"You can follow me home, I'll ask Ryder…" The sentence stops in my mouth. _I can talk to Ryder. I can actually talk to Ryder. That won't be awkward at all…_ "Lets go!" We start running down the street, me sniffing the air and ground, trying to smell anything familiar that will get me- er, us, home.

 _I'm coming home, Ryder. I'm coming home._


	6. Chapter 6

**Ryder POV:**

"What do you mean he's not here?!" I was at the vet. "Where is he?"

"I'm sorry, but we had to take him to the shelter. If he hasn't been adopted, well, I'm sorry." the vet said.

"What?!" I broke down in tears. The shelter puts down any animal not claimed or adopted within a week. Chase is gone. Unless… I ran out of the vets and headed to the shelter. It was a mess with dogs howling and cats hissing. The owners were scrambling and they looked mad. "Um… could I speak with the owner, please?"

"We're a little busy right now, kid. We had 6 dogs escape." a scrawny man said.

"Wow, that's a lot of dogs. Say, did one of them happen to be aGgerman shepherd pup?" I asked. _Please say yes, please say yes._

"Yeah, how'd you know? You didn't help them escape, did you?"

"No, no, I wouldn't do that. Its just that, I lost my pup last week, and maybe its the one that escaped."

"Maybe, but these dogs were smart. Like, way smarter than the average dog."

"Really? All of them?" _Could there be others like Chase?_

"Yeah. I hope you find your dog kid. And if you find the others, try and find them a home, please."

"Will do. Any idea which way they went?"

"Well, they ran to the right of the store. Check the alleys, they're probably hungry by now."

"Okay, thanks!" I ran out of the shelter, and started my search. _Don't worry Chase, I'll find you buddy._

 **Chase POV:**

"Chase, we've been walking around for hours."

"I'm hungry!"

"I'm tired."

"I'm thirsty!"

All the other pups were starting to whine, and it was getting on my last nerves. But, the only pup who didn't complain was Skye. She walked next to me, occasionally doing a backflip. _She's so… pretty…_ I shook my head. _Focus Chase. Find Ryder._ I kept sniffing the air and the ground for anything. Ryder, his house, anything that would get us home. Finally, I picked up a scent. "This way guys!" I yelled as I started running. The other pups hesitantly followed. When we finally got to Ryder's house, I couldn't believe what I saw. "Oh no!" I whimpered, and put my head down. The house was completely destroyed. There was nothing left. Everything was gone. I couldn't even smell Ryder.

"Is this your house? No offense dude, but its kind of a dump.." Zuma said. I growled and stared at him.

"It _was_ my house," I growled. "I guess the fire destroyed it all. I'm sorry guys, I have to find Ryder." I took off running. I looked back and they were all staring at me. _No, I can't stop. Not until I find Ryder._ I keep running when suddenly I hear the screech of tires and dogs howling. I stop and turn around to see trucks marked FBI surround my friends.

"NOOO!" I run as fast as I can to the trucks, but I was too late.

They were gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ryder POV:**

"Chase? Where are you boy?" I was walking down the street. I checked the alleys, side streets, garbage cans, anywhere I could think of. _Where could he be?_ *sigh* I started walking towards my old house. I knew there was nothing there but memories. When I got there, I saw a truck labeled FBI grabbing some pups and throwing them into cages.

"Chase!" I heard one pup yell. _Wait a minute… That pup just talked!_ I ran after the truck, but tripped over a rock, spraining my ankle.

Then I was tackled by a speeding blur.

"Where did you take my friends!?"

"Chase?"

 **Chase POV:**

I had just watched in horror as Skye and the other pups were snatched up and taken away when I noticed another figure watching in the distance. I crouched down and and ran after the figure, tackling him down.

"Where did you take my friends!?" I growled at him.

"Chase?"

I tilted my head in confusion and got off of him. He reached out his hand for me to sniff it. He smelled familiar. He tried to pet me, but I growled and backed away.

"Who are you, and how do you know my name?"

"Chase, its me, Ryder."

My jaw dropped. Kneeling in front of me was my owner, Ryder. _Why didn't I recognize him?_

"Ryder?" I started whimpering and I walked up towards him. He bent down and hugged me tight. I licked his face.

"Good to see you too, boy. Come on, lets go home." _Home. Finally I can go home. Wait a minute…_

"Wait!" I pulled out of the hug. "We can't go home! My friends need help!"

"Chase, that was the FBI. We can't go after them! We have to call the police."

"The police aren't going to believe us! What are you going to tell them? The FBI kidnapped 5 dogs?"

"Well, its better than risking our lives! I lost you once, I'm not losing you again."

"I promised to help them find a home. I'm not breaking a promise."

"Chase, it'll be impossible. Besides, if they capture you, who knows what they'll do."

"They helped me escape! If it wasn't for them, I'd be DEAD!" I yelled at Ryder. I never even barked at Ryder before. Ryder stared at me in disbelief.

"You're just a pup! You can't do this alone!"

"Are you going to help me, or not?" Ryder had a blank expression on his face.

"I just sprained my ankle. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"They could be getting hurt right now! All you care about is yourself!" I turned towards the tracks the van left behind, and started walking away.

"Chase, wait!" I felt a leash get attached to my collar. "I'm not letting you go. We have to think this through!"

"Let go! They need help!" I started twisting and thrashing around, trying to get free.

"Chase! Heel! Down boy!"

I wouldn't listen. I ran around Ryder, tying him up. Then I spun out of my collar and the leash. Ryder fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry Ryder." I gave him a hug and a lick on the cheek, and ran off.

 _Don't worry guys, I'll find you._ I went up to the tire tracks, sniffed around a bit, and ran off, leaving Ryder tied up in the middle of the street.

I didn't hear the screech of tires behind me.

I didn't see the shadow lurking behind me.

I didn't hear my name being called out.

I was focused on one thing.

Rescuing my friends.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chase POV:**

 _I can't believe I left Ryder tied up in the street. Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I was running down the street, following the scent of the truck, growling at myself. I kept running as fast as I could when it started raining. I could hear Ryder yelling for me to come back, but I wouldn't listen. I needed to save my friends. The truck was stopped at a stop light. I slowly crept towards it, and climbed up onto the back.

"Guys? Skye? Marshall?" I whined.

"Chase? Is that you" I heard Marshall say.

"Yeah, its me."

"You came back for us!" he almost yelled.

"SHHHH! Not too loud, or they'll find me. I don't have much time." I started sniffing around the door, looking for anyway to open it. The latch was too high, and it'd be risky to jump. The step was metal, and my claws would make too much noise. Just then, the light turned green. The truck lunged forward, and I was thrown off. "Ahhh!" I landed hard against the asphalt. I might've sprained my paw. The truck sped off. "NOOO!" I tried to run after it, but my paw hurt too much. It started raining. _Great…_ My ears perked as I heard the screech of tires behind me. I turned and saw a car skidding on the road. I was a deer in headlights.

 _*THUD*_

 **Ryder POV:**

"Chase! CHASE!" It was no use. He was gone. I was left alone, tangled up in his leash. After trying to get untangled for ten minutes, I finally gave up. I laid there, thinking about what had just happened. _I lost my house. I lost my stuff. I lost my best friend._ A tear trickled down my cheek. Suddenly, I heard the screech of tires. I braced for the impact.

It never came.

"Oh my gosh! Are you ok?" A woman came running towards me.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What are you doing tied up in the middle of the street?" she said, untangling me.

"My dog ran off after some truck. He ran around me and the leash broke. I got tangled and fell."

"Oh I'm so sorry. Which way did he go? Maybe we could find him."

"That way, but I doubt it. Its been over 20 minutes."

"It's worth a try, come on, lets go!" she said, half-dragging me toward her car. We sped off down the street.

"Um, thanks? By the way, what's your name?"

"Ashley, yours?"

"Ryder."

"Nice to meet you, and glad I could help." She was being really nice, but I can't help but think there's something off about her. I glanced around her car. It looked normal enough. But something near my feet caught my eye. It looked metallic. _Is that…_

"Um… Ashley?" I looked toward her. A gun was pointed toward my head.

"Tell me where your dog is. Now!"

*gulp*


	9. Chapter 9

**Pups POV:**

"Chase, NO!" Marshall yelled, pawing at the cage door. The van jerked forward and we all crashed into him. "Hey, isn't this supposed to be the other way around?", he said?

"This is no time for jokes!" Rocky growled. "We need to find a way out! Skye, can you break the lock like you did at the shelter?"

"I can try!" Skye did a backflip, but missed the lock. "Its too high!"

"Zuma, are we gonna die?" Rubble asked, whimpering.

"No, we're not gonna die, Rubble." said Rocky, his faced looking concerned. "Guys, we need to find a way out of here, now!" Suddenly, the van stopped and the pups went flying forward. Rocky and Skye hit their heads on the side of the van, going unconscious. The van doors opened, and men in black suits reached in and grabbed each pup by the scruff of their fur, throwing them into separate cages.

 _Where are they taking us,_ thought Marshall. The men looked like agents of some kind. The cages were carried into separate, empty rooms, where they were set free. Marshall looked all around and spotted one camera in the corner. _So much for escaping_ , he thought.

 **Ryder POV:**

 _I'm going to die. In a car. With a strange woman. *gulp*_

"Don't make me ask you again." she said, inching closer with the gun.

"B-but I just told you I couldn't find him! And why do you want to know where he is? Who are you?"

"THAT IS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN!" she yelled, making me jump. She calmed herself down. "Look", she said, lowering her gun. "I have orders to take you and your dog somewhere. If I don't-" she started crying. She whispered "they'll kill me." My face was filled with horror. She was a hostage. I was her hostage. _Hostageception._

"Ok, well, I'm sorry, but I have no idea where Chase. He ran off after some van." Her sobbing slowly turned into growling. She turned to face me, her face filled with tears.

"I'm not going to die because of some stupid kid." She raised the gun at me. My life flashed before my eyes.

 ***FLASHBACK***

"Get him!" 8 year old Ryder ran for his life. The school bully, Frank, and his friends were chasing him down the street.

"Leave me alone!" Ryder threw a rock at Frank, giving him a bloody lip. He ran into an alley and hid behind a dumpster.

"COME OUT AND FACE ME!" Ryder tried to get closer to the dumpster to hide, but he found him. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY!" He threw Ryder against the wall, and he hit it hard. Ryder fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Frank was unusually strong for his size. "Prepare to die!" Ryder opened his eyes and looked up to see Frank with a metal pipe ready to beat him to a pulp. Suddenly, they both heard growling. Frank backed away slightly. "What was that?" A shadow whizzed by the group causing Frank to drop the pipe. A blur tackled Frank, growling loud. "AAAAHHHHHHHH!" He pushed the furry animal off him and ran off with his friends. The animal turned to face Ryder and slowly trotted up to him.

"Please, don't hurt me…" Ryder pleaded with the "beast". It turned out to be a small german shepherd. The dog sniffed Ryder and began licking his face. "Haha, good dog. What's your name?" Ryder looked for his collar, but couldn't find one. "Well, thanks for chasing off those guys. Hey, that could be your name! Chase!" The dog barked happily at his new name.

 ***END FLASHBACK***

 **Ryder POV:**

Suddenly, I heard a gunshot. I waited for the pain to come. I waited for darkness to take me away. But nothing came. I opened my eyes. The woman lay motionless across the steering wheel. The gun was still in her hand.

"Kid! Are you alright?" I looked outside, and an officer was running towards me. He opened the door and pulled me out. "It's okay, its all over now." I didn't realize until now that I was trembling. All I wanted now was Chase.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chase's POV:**

 _Ugh, my entire body hurts._ I woke up in a dark room. I tried to stand up, but the pain was unbearable. It ripped through my body like a lightning bolt. I whined loud and collapsed, falling off the edge of a table, and landing on the floor with a thud. I whined even louder and, hearing movement, my ears perked towards the door. It slowly opened, and I braced myself for whatever was coming. At the door was a woman, the same woman that rescued Ryder and I that fateful day. "Oh you poor pup!" she said, carefully picking me up off the ground. She turned on the lights, and I realized I was back in the vets office. _Oh great…_ She set me back down on the counter.

"I still can't believe you managed to survive that accident with minimal bruising." _This hurts so much worse than bruising_ , I thought, looking down at myself. I saw a few cuts and bruises, but sure enough, nothing felt broken. "Now, I'm going to put you with the other pups while we track down your owner." _Other pups? Am I at the vets or in the shelter?_ She gestured for me to jump down and I followed her to a locked room. She opened the door and that's when the scent hit me. _No…_

I was shoved inside and heard the door lock behind me. I started barking wildly, but she didn't come back.

"Hello Chase…" I turned around slowly and saw a man in a black suit staring at me. I defensively began growling and stood my ground. "Now, now, no need for that. I just want to have a little… chat." I stopped growling and tilted my head in confusion. _He can't possibly know that I-_

"Yes, I know you can talk." * **gulp*** I backed up a little, my tail hitting the wall. "It's ok, you are completely safe here. We just want to ask you some questions." _Fat chance._

"Uh, I want a lawyer?" I had heard that said on a lot of TV shows, and using that's where the interrogation stops. The man stared at me and after a few seconds started laughing like a mad man. I stared at him nervously, not sure what to do. He abruptly stopped.

"You think this is funny?! You think this is a game?! WELL IT'S NOT!" he yelled, making me whimper. "Answer my questions, and you'll live another day."

"And if I don't?" He stared at me for a while before pulling out a gun. My ears tucked back. "No, please don't! I'll do whatever you say!"

"Good boy." he said, reaching over to pat my head. It took all my strength not to bite him. "Now, let's get down to business." _This is gonna take a while._

 **Ryder's POV**

"So she offered to help you find your dog, and then threatened your life?" the officer asked.

"Basically. Look, my dog went missing and I really need to find him. How much longer is this going to take?" I was getting irritated. THey had asked me the same questions over and over for the past 6 hours.

"Kid, we're running an investigation. Obviously, someone is threatening your life. We have to put you in protective custody until we get whoever put the hit on you. Understand?"

"Fine, but can you at least get someone out there to look for him? I'm really worried."

"Alright. 'Cody, get someone out on patrol for the kids dog. Small german shepherd. Responds to Chase. Over.'"

"On it, Chief. Over and out."

"Thank you." I felt relieved that at least someone was looking for him.

"Alright, back to business. Now, do you have any enemies that you know of?"

"No." _Wait a minute…_ "Actually…"

"Is there someone?"

"Sort of, but you wouldn't believe me…" Suddenly, the officer's radio went off. 'Sir, we've have some urgent information you need to look at.'

"In the middle of an interrogation, can it wait?"

"Its about the interrogation, sir."

"Ugh, I'll be back." He walked out of the room and I was finally alone. _If I tell him the FBI is after me and Chase, they might turn me in. But if I don't, I may never get out of here._ He came back in, with handcuffs. "Sorry kid, but it turns out you're wanted for questioning by the FBI."

"What? I didn't even do anything!" I said, standing up. He tried to grab me, but I easily avoided him. He reached for his taser, and I hit his pressure point, knocking him out. I took his taser and ran out, stunning anyone in my way.

 _They have Chase, I know they do. Question is, where?_ I ran out of the police station wondering where to go. I heard the sound of sirens and screeching tires. Turning my head, I saw a van heading straight towards me. There was no where to run. The only way I was ever going to see Chase was if I went with them. Armed agents came out and surrounded me. I put my hand up in surrender. I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my neck. I reached and pulled out a dart.

"Anything you say can and will be used against you in interrogation." I slowly started getting sleepy as I felt handcuffs being placed on my hands. "Anything you want to say?" I looked at him with a determined look.

"Where's Chase?" Slowly, I fell into unconsciousness. Before going under, I heard laughter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chase POV**

"So, tell me exactly what happened."

"Well, it all started when…" I went into detail of what happened that fateful day over a month ago. He seemed to understand everything, up until the explosion.

"That doesn't explain how you can talk."

"I honestly can't tell you. All I know is, before the explosion I couldn't talk, and now I can. I wish I knew how."

"What was Ryder working on?"

"I don't know, he never told me." He slammed his fist down on the table making me jump.

"LIES!" he yelled. I wished I wasn't handcuffed to the table. "You know exactly what he was making. Tell me or…" he pulled out a needle. "you'll be put down. Now tell me what he was working on."

"I really don't know! I'm sorry! If Ryder was here, maybe he co-" I was cut off by his radio.

"Sir, we have captured the suspect and are bringing him in now." A grin grew on the man's face.

"Excellent. Now maybe we'll get some answers." He started walking towards the door. He turned back towards me and said "You'll live… for now." And I was left alone. The second the door shut, I slipped out of the handcuffs. While he was interrogating me, I was able to slip my tail into the lock. I was just waiting for the right moment to pick it. I walked over to the door and slowly opened it. I could hear a guard down the hall doing a patrol. Slowly, I made my way in the opposite direction. _Don't worry Ryder, I'll find you._

 **Ryder POV:**

I woke up with stabbing pain in my neck. My head was throbbing. I looked around and saw I was tied up, sitting in a chair. My hands felt handcuffed behind me. "Hello? Anyone?" No one answered. The room was pretty bare, except for a mirror in front of me. I knew it had to be a two way mirror with a window on the other side. _They're watching me. Why?_ I decided I would try to at least get the rope off, so I started squirming around in the chair. The ropes happened to be loose, and fell to the ground. "You guys suck at tying knots!" I yelled. I stood up, but my hands were still handcuffed behind my back. Suddenly, the door opened behind me.

"Hello, Ryder." It was the same man who shot me with the dart. "I'm Dr. Richardson, but please, call me Jack." _I don't care._

"Why am I here?"

"Well, as you probably already know, we have your dog, Chase I believe?"

"WHERE IS HE?!"

"Well, if you must know, he's either being interrogated, or…" he smirked at me. "He's dead." _That's it. You're dead._ I tackled him to the ground.

"DEAD? YOU KILLED HIM?! MURDERER! YOU'RE LUCKY I'M HANDCUFFED OTHERWISE YOU'D BE DEAD TOO!" I bashed my head into his, causing us both to bleed. Another agent burst through the door and dragged me off of the doctor. "NO!" I kicked back at him striking him in a place no man should ever be struck. He fell to the ground. They both lay on the ground in agony. I ran out into the hallway, my blood dripping on the ground. "Chase?! Where are you? Chase?!" I ran down the hall, yelling for him. I didn't care who heard me. I just wanted my dog.

 **Chase POV**

"Chase?! Where are you? Chase?!" I heard Ryder's voice trail down the hall.

"Ryder?" I half whispered. I started sniffing the air for him. I couldn't smell him. _Weird._ I ran down the halls trying to hear and smell him, but nothing came up. I decided to take a quick break and sat down. I looked up and saw a security camera pointed straight at me. _Uh oh._ The alarm went off so I ran down the hall, bumping into walls as I rounded corners. "Ryder! If you can here me, run!" I yelled.

As I was running, a door opened in front of me. I couldn't stop and I slammed right into it, knocking a guard down. He was unconscious. Dragging him inside the now unlocked room, I hid as more guards ran down the hall. My heart was beating so fast, I felt as if it would pop out of my chest. _Calm down, Chase. Find Ryder, find the other pups, and get out of here._ I recognized a scent in the room. Turning around, I saw Rocky, lying on the ground, motionless.

"Rocky?!" Walking over, he looked as if he were dead. His body was cold. "Oh no, what if I'm too late?" I started to cry. "I'm so sorry, Rocky." I said, in between sobs. I felt the room get colder, but I was too depressed to care. _What if the other pups are dead? What if Ryder is dead?_ That's when I started to bawl. With the room getting colder, I started seeing my breath and shivering. I snuggled up next to Rocky. I could hear his heart beating, albeit very slowly. I smiled as my eyes started getting droopy. Before I fell asleep, I saw another camera out of the corner of my eye.

 _They're always watching._

 **Ryder POV**

The alarm went off as I ran down the hall. I tried opening every door I saw, but all of them were locked. _This is how I die. Getting gunned down with my hands cuffed. Focus, find Chase, get him to pick the lock, and get out of here._ Suddenly, I heard a door open in front of me, but there was no one there. "C-Chase? Is that you?" I slowly made my way over to the door. Looking inside, it was dark. "Hello?" A paw came out of nowhere, grabbed me, and pulled me inside before shutting and locking the door.

"Who are you and how did you escape?" asked an angry little dalmatian.


	12. Chapter 12

**Ryder POV**

"Who are you and how did you escape?" asked an angry little dalmatian. I couldn't respond. _Another talking dog? What is this place?_ "Talk!" the dog said, growling. It bared its teeth, proving that it was a pup.

"Um, I'm Ryder. I'm looking for another talking dog, maybe you know him. His name is Chase." The pups ears perked and he got off of me. He stared at me confused and then turned around.

"Why would you want to talk to a traitor like him?" _Traitor? Wait a minute, Chase said something about pups._

"If I know Chase, whatever he did, or didn't do, he didn't mean it." The pup looked at me with sad eyes. "A few nights ago, I found Chase trying to run after you and your friends after getting stuffed in that van. I tried to stop him because it was too dangerous, but he wouldn't give up. Now, I need to find him and apologize." The pup walked up to me and licked my cheek. '

"Chase told me about you. He said you would help us." He nuzzled me and I tried to hug him back, but I was still handcuffed.

"And I will. Now, let's go find the others." He picked the lock on the cuffs, freeing me. I got up and walked to the door, only to be pulled back. "What is it?"

"My friend, Zuma." He walked to the back of the room. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I saw a brown lab lying on the ground, motionless.

"What happened?" I slowly picked up the pup.

"The guys in black threw us both in here and he hit his head. He hasn't woken up."

"He hasn't woken up in days?" I checked the pups pulse. _Still alive, thank goodness._ "Ok, we really need to get everyone out of here." Together, we snuck out into the hallway. It was dark, which was odd. _Wasn't the alarm just going off?_ "Hey, you never told me your name."

"Marshall," the dalmatian said, smiling.

 **Chase POV**

It was cold. My body felt stiff. It didn't hurt to move, but I felt slow. Slowly opening my eyes, I could see my breath as I exhaled. Lifting my head, I looked around, only to find that it was pitch black. "Rocky?" I whispered, hoarsely. I looked and realized he was gone. Panicking, I shot up instantly. "Rocky? Rocky where are you?" I couldn't see anything. Suddenly, the floor gave way and I was falling. Crying out, I just kept falling and falling.

"AAH!" I spun around on the floor. _Huh? I'm back?_ I looked around confused. I looked down and saw drool. Licking my lips, I realized I was sleeping. _That means…_ Turning, I saw Rocky, still lying on the ground. _We've got to get out of here._ I carefully picked him up and put him on my back, but he was out cold. In fact, he even felt cold. _I wonder how long I was out._ Listening for guards, I walked out into the hallway. The cameras looked like they were down. _That's strange._

After walking down the hallway for about 5 minutes, I realized it was too quiet. _I should've seen a guard by now._ Looking around, I saw no signs that anything was out of the ordinary. _With whoever I'm dealing with, I can't be too careful._ A scent hit my nose and I panicked. Finding a supply closet, I tried the handle and luckily it was unlocked.

Trying to stay calm and keep my breathe quiet, I listened as someone walked by the door. Whoever it was, they stopped in front of it. I heard someone, or something, sniffing. The sniffing stopped and I heard the rattling of the handle. Gulping, I dragged Rocky to the back of the closet, covering ourselves with an oversized mop. The door swung open.

"Chase?"

 **Marshall POV**

Ryder was carrying Zuma while I tried to track Chase. I don't have a good nose, so this was a real challenge, especially since I couldn't remember Chase's scent. Suddenly, the scent of somepup hit my nose, and I started running. "Wait! Marshall!" Ryder half-whispered.

I heard a door close and when I rounded the corner the smell was at its strongest point. The only door in this hall was a supply closet. I looked at Ryder and he looked at me. Shrugging, he placed Zuma on my back and slowly walked to the door. Turning the handle, he looked inside.

"Chase?" The smell in the closet was definitely a pup, but I wasn't sure which one. We both heard a whimper. Ryder went inside, leaving me in the hall, alone. I sat down, forgetting Zuma was on my back. He fell to the ground with a thud. "Oops."

 **Ryder POV**

 _I'm not sure who this is, but if Marshall feels safe, then I need to trust him._ Going inside, I saw two pups, one of the backing away from me, whimpering. "Chase! It's me, Ryder!" After hearing my voice for the second time, he looked at me, tilted his head and whimpered, running towards me. "Oh, Chase! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have yelled at you. If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Ryder, I'm the one who should be sorry. Dogs are supposed to obey their owners, and I didn't. I'm a bad pup." he said, whimpering, ears drooping.

"No, no, Chase, don't say that. You're a very good pup. You risked your life to save 5 other pups. We're in this together." I noticed the second pup was lying on the ground, not moving. "Is he okay?"

"I'm not sure. The room I found him in was freezing cold. I think it affected him. His name is Rocky." I picked up Rocky and he was freezing cold. I unzipped my hoodie and placed him inside, keeping his muzzle free so he could breathe.

"This should warm him up. Now let's go. The security system is down. For some reason, there aren't any guards on this floor, so we should be safe."

 _For now._


	13. Chapter 13

**Ryder POV**

 _This is the second time I've been able to actually talk to Chase, or any dog for that matter. I still can't believe he felt guilty after our fight. I'm the one that was a bad friend. Friends are supposed to help each other no matter what. I love Chase. I should've been a better friend._ _Man, this pup is freezing!_ I shuddered as I placed Zuma down.

 **Chase POV**

After our reunion, I made my way ahead of Ryder and the others to make sure the coast was clear. Barking softly to Ryder, I let him know that everything was safe. Or at least it seemed that way. My senses were on high alert for anything, anything at all. There were no smells, other than Ryder, Marshall, Rocky and Zuma. There were no sounds, other than our paws/feet walking. It was all too weird.

Suddenly, the sound of a door knob made my ears perk. I stopped dead in my tracks, causing Ryder and Marshall to stop as well. "What is it, boy?" I quietly shushed him. The sound came from down the hall. The scent of a pup hit my nose, causing my heart to beat faster. I lunged forward and started running. "Chase! Wait! What's happening?" Ryder asked as he ran after me.

"Wait guys! We forgot Zuma!" Marshall half yelled, placing the unconscious pup on his back..

"It's Skye!" _Skye, I've missed you. Wait a minute..._ I skidded to a stop. _What am I doing? Why do I feel so weird?_ Marshall didn't stop in time and slammed right into me. Ryder tripped over us and Rocky fell out of his hood. Rocky's limp body slid across the floor until it stopped in front of a door.

"Chase, do you like Skye?" Marshall asked with a grin on his face. Ryder too stared at me with the same grin. I blushed, but luckily it was too dark for them to see.

"N-no. It's just, s-she's all alone and I'm worried about her and the other pups." I stammered, still blushing. Their smiles faded as we heard Rocky groan and I ran to his side. "Rocky? Rocky wake up!" I said, nudging him. He was still cold.

 **Rocky POV**

I slowly started to wake up, not remembering when I fell asleep. I felt something wet touching me and I panicked. "G-get away from me! P-please, no more w-water! No more!" I whimpered. I curled up into a ball and started crying. I heard someone running and suddenly I was lifted.

"Shhh, you're ok, everything is fine. You're safe now." I was shaking. _You seem really nice._ I stopped crying, but I was still shaking. "Are you still cold?" Shaking my head yes, the boy placed me into his hoodie. At first, I was confused, but then I realized how warm it was.

"W-where are we? W-what's going on?" I asked, shaking.

"We're getting out of here. Do you know where Skye and Rubble are?" Chase asked. Shaking my head no, he sighed. He started sniffing around, but then he sighed again. "Ryder, how are we supposed to find them? I can't smell any of them, or any guards or anything!"

"Rocky, what's the last thing you remember?" Ryder asked me

"W-well..."

 **Flashback**

"Tell us why you can talk!" I had been tortured for hours. They used a technique they called 'waterboarding'. It makes your body think it's drowning. It's awful.

"Please let me go! I don't know why!" I heard him pick up another cup of water. "Please! NO! Don't-!" It was no use. My face was covered with a washcloth. He poured the water over it and I went into panic mode. It really felt like I was drowning. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't take it anymore and I blacked out...

 **Ryder POV**

The entire time Rocky was telling his flashback, I could feel him shaking, his heart rate increasing after every chilling detail. A tear fell from my eye. _No one should every go through that._ He started crying again and I held him closer. Chase and Marshall were on the verge of tears. We all were sitting in the hallway completely silent. Hugging each other. Comforting each other. Like good friends would.

"We seriously need to get out of here." I said, standing up. Walking over to the door Chase was running to, I just opened it. I no longer cared. Whatever was on the other side, we would face together. Chase and Marshall looked at each other, nodded, and ran to stand guard in front of me and Rocky. Slowly, together, we walked into the dark room.

 **Marshall POV**

Chase and I walked into the room, letting our eyes adjust. I could see a table directly in front of us, a chair to the side and "A window!" I ran towards it, only to be tackled. I let out a whimper but my muzzle was covered.

"Marshall?" Chase asked. I tried to cry out but whatever was holding me wouldn't let me go. I could see Chase nervously walking around. "Marshall, this isn't funny. Where are you?" Whoever tackled me flipped me over and started licking my face. _Rubble._ I pushed him off.

"Rubble? Why did you do that?" I asked, getting Chase's attention. Ryder finally came inside and turned on a light. The room looked relatively safe. Looking at Rubble, I could see a bruise on his side. "What did they do to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it, let's just get out of here!" he said. We looked at him confused. He seemed really fidgety and antsy. Not like the Rubble I grew up with. "Where's Skye?"

"We were hoping you would know." Ryder said. We all heard Chase let out a whimper, followed by blush on his face. "By the way, I haven't introduced myself to you guys, Rocky and Rubble. I'm Ryder."

"We know. Chase told us about you back at the shelter." Rubble said with Rocky nodding. Rocky licked Ryder's face making him giggle.

"Ok, now that we all know each other, lets find the other pups!" Chase said. He and Marshall again went down the hall ahead of us, sniffing for any clues or danger. _Here we go again..._

 **Unknown POV**

"They're more intelligent than we thought." Monitors showed the exact position of Ryder as he and the pups made their way through the corridors.

"Should we capture them, sir?"

"No. I want to see what their plan is."

"But sir, if they escape-"

"So be it." My guardsman looked at me confused. "Is there a problem?"

"Sir, I thought we were monitoring them for a specific reason."

"We are."

"Then, why allow them to escape? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of this operation?" Standing up from my chair, I walked over to my guardsman. I placed a hand on his shoulder, making him gulp.

"Trust me. It will all be worth it in the end." Turning back to the monitors, I sat back down. Stroking my chin, I pushed a button, causing the lights in the corridor to turn on.

 _Why don't we push your knowledge to its limits._


	14. Chapter 14

**Ryder POV**

As we were walking down the hall, the lights suddenly came back on. I clutched Rocky tighter to my chest. A panel in the wall opened. "Chase, stand guard while I check this out. Marshall, take care of Zuma. Rubble, come with me.

"On it!" they all said. Rocky just snuggled down deeper in my hoodie. I peered inside the now open wall. It was a hidden room. Inside were all the snacks a kid could want. Soda, candy, popcorn, you name it. _This has to be a trap…_ My stomach started rumbling.

"Ryder, I'm hungry." Rocky whined.

"I know, but this has got to be a trap. We can't trust them." I said, backing away from the panel.

"Well, I'm starving!" Rubble whined. He ran inside.

"Rubble, no!" But it was too late. He was already inside scarfing down the food. Nothing bad seemed to be happening. _Alright, we'll do it your way._ "Come on, guys." I said, picking up Zuma. "It seems safe enough." The pups looked at each other and shrugged. "Whatever happens, we'll be together."

Going inside, the panel shut behind us. I gulped and Rocky whimpered. "Don't worry, guys." I said, putting on a noticeably fake brave face. "Chase, check out the food, make sure it isn't poisoned or anything." Chase started sniffing around the room, laughing at the way Rubble was eating. He had just eaten an entire bowl of popcorn, and was about to tackle some ice cream.

"Wait!" Chase yelled. "Rubble, you can't eat that."

"Why not?" Rubble whined. He was really hungry.

"It's chocolate." With that, everyone understood. Rubble sighed sadly before noticing a sandwich on the floor. He and Chase both looked at each other before racing towards it. The sandwich disappeared in seconds.

"Well, I take it the food is safe then?" I asked, laughing. Chase's ears perked up and he nodded as he was still chewing. "Rocky, you want to eat?" I asked before taking him out of my hoodie. He barked happily and started eating. _Might as well eat too._ Marshall had found a bowl with water and was splashing it on Zuma, trying to wake him up. "Marshall, go eat. I'll take care of him."

"Thanks, Ryder." He trotted off towards the table.

 **Skye POV**

 _I've been here for who knows how long. I haven't seen any of the pups. I miss them all, especially Chase._ I blushed at the thought. _He so kind and protective, but also serious when he needs to be._ Suddenly, I heard laughter. Getting into defense mode, I hid under the table in the interrogation room. _I may be weak after not eating for a few days, but whoever comes through that door will taste my fury._

The door opened, but there was no one there. It was dark in the hallway. Tilting my head in confusion, I could hear the faint sound of an alarm. _Time to escape_. I ran out into the hallway when the lights suddenly turned on. "Skye!"

"Chase?" I yelled. "Where are you?" But he didn't reply. I heard the sound of a door and hid. A door had opened down the hall, but I couldn't see anyone. "Hello?" I said, slowly walking up to the door. I peered inside. It was completely empty. There was nothing inside. "Anyone in here?"

I was standing in the doorway when I heard the click of a lock. Turning, the door slammed right into me, making me go flying across the room until I hit a wall. Everything went blurry. I tried to stand, only to collapse back to the ground. "Chase…" I whispered before blacking out.

 **Zuma POV (unconscious)**

All I remember is being thrown into a room before blacking out. I've been dreaming for what seems like years, dreaming of having a family who accepts me as a talking dog. A family that would protect me no matter what. One that loves me…

I could hear voices. I tried to wake up so many times, but I just couldn't. I figured out soon enough that I was unconscious. _What if I never wake up?_ I could hear Marshall telling me everything would be okay. That we'd get out alive. Sometimes, I'd feel him snuggle up to me before hearing him sleep. I just wish I could be awake, that way I wouldn't feel so lonely.

 **Chase POV**

Zuma started whimpering, but he was still unconscious. "Zuma? If you can hear me, try to wake up. Please, Zuma. We need you." But he wouldn't. He stopped whimpering. I sighed, knowing there was nothing we could do. "Ryder, did you eat yet?" The boy looked at me sadly, and shook his head. "Dude, you seriously need to eat. Go."

"I'm fine, Chase." he said, scratching behind my ear.

"That's the spot, wait no, a little low-" I shook myself. "Ryder, you need to eat." I dragged Zuma over to a corner and laid down next to him. "He'll be fine, now go."

"But-" I growled playfully at him. "Alright, alright." I watched as he got up and went to eat. _Good boy_ , I thought, laughing to myself.

 **Unknown POV**

"Sir, they're getting more cautious. What if the plan doesn't work?" Sitting in my chair, I turned away from the monitors.

"How long have we been planning this?"

"For quite some time now, sir." The guardsman said nervously.

"And how many times have I failed in my past few assignments?"

"None, sir, but-" I slammed my fist down on the table, making him jump.

"Then what makes you think I will fail? Are you planning something? Do you doubt my skills?" I said, angrily. My hand was hovering over a button I hadn't used in years. The guardsmen knew what would happen.

"No sir! Nothing like that at all! I would never! It's just that, these dogs are so.. intelligent and-"

"So now you're saying I'm dumber than a _dog?!"_ I'd heard enough. I pushed the button. A hole had opened up underneath my guardsman, sending him falling down a shaft, never to be seen again. I pushed another button. "Miss Secretary, when does the garbage get incinerated?"

"At around noon today, sir."

"Perfect. Tell them to put it on high today. I just sent down a ton of… paperwork." I said, laughing. Turning back to the monitors, I watched the pups and boy eat.

 _That's right. Enjoy it while it lasts..._


	15. Chapter 15

**Rocky POV:**

I opened my eyes only to find the room was dark. "Guys?" I called out. No answer. "Chase? Marshall? Anyone?" Still no answer. I started sniffing the air, but I couldn't smell anything. The room was completely empty. Panicking, I tried running forward, but I ran into... a wall? Suddenly, a spotlight came on. I was in a glass case. Ears pinned back in fear, I called out "What's going on?" I heard someone laugh, but I still couldn't see anyone. Then I felt something wet on my paws.

Looking down, water was gushing up from the bottom. "Help! Somebody! Help me!" But it was no use. The water rose higher and higher. I was close to reaching the top. There was no way out. With a deep breath, I dove under to try and cut the glass with my claws. No luck. Surfacing, I howled at the top of my lungs before being overwhelmed by the water. Sinking to the bottom, I saw a figure standing in front of the case. He turned and walked away.

And that's when I blacked out.

 **Ryder POV:**

"Ryder..." I felt something wet touch my face. "Ryder!" I groaned.

"Five more minutes..."

"RYDER!" I jumped, hitting my head on the table.

"What?! What's going on?" Chase and Marshall were sat in front of me, whimpering. "What happened?"

"It's Rocky! He's whimpering and whining like crazy and we can't wake him up!" My eyes widened and I rushed over to where Chase and Zuma were.

"Rocky, wake up!" I picked him up in my arms. His ears were pinned back. "He's having a nightmare. Rocky, you need to wake up, it's just a dream!" I shook him a little but he still wouldn't move. His whining got louder and louder before it suddenly stopped. "Rocky?" Slowly, his ears went back to their normal perkiness. "Rocky, wake up!" And that's when I noticed.

Rocky stopped breathing.

"Oh no. Rocky! Wake up now!" I shook the pup, pulling his ears, rubbing his stomach, anything to wake him up. "Rubble, get some water, now!"

"On it!" He came back instantly with a bottle of water. I opened and poured it on Chase's head. He howled as if he were in pain, almost splitting my ear drums.

"NOOOO!" He thrashed around in my arms and I held him close.

"Shhhhhh, Rocky, you're okay. Everything's okay. You just had a nightmare. Calm down." The poor pup was soaking wet and shivering, but not from the water. Finally, after holding him close for about five minutes, he calmed down enough to speak.

"No more water, no more water, no more..." Rocky kept whimpering over and over.

"Rocky, it's okay. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you." Chase told him.

"I wouldn't be so sure." A deep voice said. Ears perked all around.

"W-wh-who said that?" Marshall said.

'I think it might be whoever runs this place." I said.

"That's correct, Ryder." I spotted an intercom on the roof. "But, names aren't important right now. What's important is that I know who all of you are. You all possess certain skills that I am in need of."

"What? Is that why you've kept us here? To _evaluate_ us? To _use_ us?" I was beyond angry. "Why you little-"

"Listen here, boy, you best watch your language. I'm the one in control here. I'm that one that can give you all what you so desperately want."

"Skye?!" Chase yelled, panting, tail wagging. The pups looked at him confused while I had a smirk on my face. He instantly blushed.

"Yes, but I was thinking more along the lines of..." Another panel opened up, revealing sunshine and grass. Things we haven't seen in what felt like years. "Freedom."

We all looked at each other. _Our captor, or captors, is offering us freedom? What about all that torture and pain?_ I felt my forehead. The bruise and scar were still there.

"What's the catch?" Chase suddenly said. _He's right_ , I thought. _This is too good to be true._

"Wise pup," the voice said before laughing. "The catch is..." The panel slammed shut, making us flinch. "...you stay here, as visitors, and train for the next month or so."

"Train for what exactly?" Marshall said.

"International spies."

"What?!" We all said in unison. _Spies? The government wants five pups and a dog as spies?_ I started laughing. Soon, all the pups, except for Zuma, were laughing.

"You must be kidding. You're telling us that you not only kidnapped, but pupnapped six other pups to form a team of spies?" I was still laughing. I couldn't believe what I just heard.

"It's either that, or your instant and painful death." _Oh._ The room fell silent. _Well that escalated quickly._

"What will it be, Ryder?" The pups all stared at me. I looked down and saw Rocky's upside down face staring back up at me. I couldn't help but smile. The deep voice shook me out of my thoughts.

"Well Ryder?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Ryder's POV:**

 _This is such a tough decision. Either be owned by the government or whoever this guy is for the rest of our lives, or die trying to escape._ I look down at my pups. I've already decided to adopt them all, seeing as there's no where else they could possibly go. "Could you give me some time to think about it? Please?"

The voice laughed and said "What's there to think about? I'm offering a choice between life and death."

"No, you're offering a choice between torture and death. The way I see it, we could die either way."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong child. With training, you _could_ die, yes, but with execution, you will _definitely_ die, I'll make sure of that. But, seeing as you want to ponder over this matter, I'll give you the night to think about it. But, I want a definitive answer in the morning, otherwise you'll be in for more... fun." The voice laughed once more before the intercom clicked. Suddenly I was met with 5 pairs of eyes.

"As much as I hate to say it, I'd rather die than be tortured, especially after hearing what some of the other pups went through." Chase said. Rocky and Rubble whimpered. _I wonder what happened to Rubble. Not important, at least not right now._

"Ryder," Rocky said, placing a paw on my foot. "Whatever you choose, I support you.

"Me too! Whatever it takes to get out of this place!" Rubble said.

"You know I will." Chase said with a smile. I hugged them all tightly.

"Well, if everyone else is, then I guess I will too." Marshall said. I laughed.

"Thanks pups. I'm really going to have to think this through though. There might still be a way out." The pups nodded. Chase trotted back to Zuma, making sure he was still alright. The rest of the pups curled around them and went to sleep. "Guess I'll think about it in my sleep." Laying down near the pups, I drifted off to sleep. I felt somepup move, but ignored it.

 **Zuma POV**

My eyes jerked open. I was staring at the ground. I heard breathing all around me. _Don't panic. Don't panic._ Slowly lifting my head up, I saw all the pups sleeping around me. There was a human laying across from us. _Boy, I hope that's Ryder,_ I thought. Sniffing around, the room smelled familiar.

 _I wonder..._

 **FLASHBACK**

I always knew I was different, but I didn't know for sure until one day, I woke up in this very same room. Confused, I walked over to the door, only to find it locked. "Hello? Anyone in here?" I said. My ears shifted as I heard the intercom.

"Good morning, Zuma." _Who is this and how does he know my name?_ "I wanted to be the first to congratulate you!"

"F-for what?"

"For being the first successful test subject to live, of course!" My mouth dropped. _Test subject?_

"W-w-what are you talking about? I thought I was a purebred!" My heart was racing.

"Of course you are! But, the second you were born, we injected you with a serum, just to see what would happen. We've been watching you ever since." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Let me out! Let me out!" I started frantically pawing the door.

"There's no use. The room is completely sealed. I'll send someone to bring you food. You'll be staying here for a long, long time." The voice cackled before being cut off. I started crying. _I want my mom..._

 **End Flashback**

I was whimpering softly as tears filled my eyes. I needed to calm down. _That's all in the past, Zuma. Put it behind you._ Shaking my head, I decided I might as well go back to sleep, since that was what everyone else was doing. _Maybe I'll figure out how to get out of here._

 **Ryder POV**

I could hear somepup crying and whimpering, but it stopped abruptly. Opening my eyes, I saw Zuma had moved. "Zuma?" I said. His ears moved and he looked up at me.

"Um... hi?" he said.

"My name's Ryder. I'm-"

"I know who you are. Chase told us all about you." he said.

"Oh, ok. Well, you should know that the guy that kidnapped us gave me a a deadline to make a decision or he kills us all. I just don't know what to do."

"Wait, did the voice sound gruff?" Zuma said with a growl.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked, giving him a confused look.

"I knew it. I've been here before!" he said, getting up. He trotted over to one of the walls and started sniffing around.

"WHAT?!" I yelled, making all the pups jump. Marshall jumped so high, I caught him in my arms.

"Whoops, sorry Ryder!" he said with a giggle.

"What do you mean you've been here before?!" I yelled at Zuma. He whimpered and his ears went back. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm just so surprised!"

"Wait, Zuma's awake!" Chase said. All the pups barked and howled and rushed Zuma. They all collided with each other and started laughing. "So what's this about you being here before?"

"I'll explain later, right now, we need to get out of here before-" The intercom came on.

"What is all the commotion down there? It is 1o'clock in the morning, I am trying to get some rest!"

 **Zuma POV**

"Uhm, nothing. I just had a nightmare?" Ryder said, hoping he wouldn't notice. There didn't seem to be any cameras in this room.

"Well you're bound to have more tomorrow, no matter what you choose. Sweet dreams, Ryder." he said before turning off the intercom. Ryder looked back at me. "You were saying?"

"Right, like I said, I'll explain later." I turned to the rest of the pups. "Pups, help me find the hollow part in the wall." They all looked at me confused. "I know the way out of here without letting the big guy know." They all immediately understood and began our search. Eventually, thanks to Chase and his nose, we found it.

"OK, now what?" Marshall asked.

"Ryder, I need you to run full speed towards the wall and kick it." I said.

"Won't that attract the guards? And how does the guy not know about this?" Rubble asked.

"Well, I don't know for sure that it isn't a trap, but last time I was here, it's how I got out. And yes, the guards will come, but hopefully we'll be inside before they catch us." I gulped. _Hopefully._

"Alright, everyone stand back." Ryder ran to the other side of the room and turned around. Running towards the panel, he kicked as hard as he could. The panel broke through, making a loud clanging sound as it hit the ground.

"You did it! That's the way out!" I went up to the hole in the wall and started sniffing. Chase did the same. "Smells safe to me. How about you Chase?" I looked towards Chase. He was standing there with a far away look on his face. "Chase?"

"Chase? Are you alright?" Rocky said, trotting up next to him.

"Chase?" I said, kneeling down next him. I waved a hind in front of him. "Chaaaaassssseeee."

 **Chase POV**

As I sniffed the door, I smelled something strange. I couldn't explain it. I sat down and was about say something about it, but I froze. I couldn't move, not even my eyes. I saw Ryder, Rocky and the other pups crowd around me, but I couldn't hear what they said. Suddenly, everything turned dark.

 **Ryder POV**

His ears pinned back and he slumped to the ground. "Chase!" I picked him up, stroking his head and muzzle. "Chase, wake up!" Suddenly, the other pups collapsed as well, ears pinned back. "Oh no!" I went around to all of them, one by one, trying to wake them up. I started feeling light headed. "No, no, no, this can't be happening." I heard movement outside the door. Thinking quickly, I slid all the pups inside the hole and got inside the pitch black tunnel with them. I placed the panel back just as a guard entered the room. I heard him say a few words before running off. I felt myself drifting in and out of consciousness, and before I knew it, I was blacked out.

 **Unknown POV**

"Stupid pups, interrupting my sleep..." I was grumbling to myself as I tried falling back asleep. I heard a knock at the door. My eyes shot open. "Who dares disturb me this late at night?!" I yelled. I opened the door to find one of my guards looking frightened. "What is so important that you needed to wake me?"

"S-Sir, the b-boy and t-the p-p-pups a-a-a-are..." he said, stuttering nervously.

"Spit it out, Leon." I said, growing annoyed.

"They're gone." he said, bracing for what he knew was coming. I stared at him for a bit, obviously showing my anger. I slowly closed the door in his face. "Sir?" I heard him say through the door.

I screamed at the top of my lungs. My anger had reached its boiling point. "I HAVE HAD IT WITH THOSE STUPID, STUPID BRATS!" I walked up to the intercom mic, jammed the button down and yelled at the top of my lungs "THIS BUILDING IS NOW ON LOCK-DOWN. NO ONE LEAVES THE BASE. ANYONE FOUND DISOBEYING THIS RULE WILL BE KILLED ON SIGHT." Instead of pushing the button, I ripped the microphone out and threw it at my window, shattering it.

"This ends now."


	17. Chapter 17

**Skye POV:**

My body ached as I slowly opened my eyes. Looking around didn't help. It was pitch black. Groaning, I stood up, carefully making sure nothing was broken. Perking my ears, I listened for anything that could possibly get me out of this room. _Is that... barking?_ My tail began to wag, but I stopped it. _Focus Skye, you're still trapped._ Walking along the wall, I could hear distinct changes in the pitch. _Hollow, maybe?_ Trying my luck, I pawed at one of the panels. _It is hollow!_ I started kicking at it with my hind legs, hoping that, somehow, my small body could open it. After a few more tries, I collapsed to the ground, exhausted. My ears perked as I heard a different sound. _Walking?_ I looked back toward the panel. The sound grew louder and louder. My heart was pounding. _I guess this is how it ends,_ I thought, a tear rolling down my cheek. I shut my eyes, letting the darkness take me as the panel flew open. Whimpering, I curled up into a ball. "Please, don't hurt me." I pleaded with the intruder.

"Skye?!" My ears perked once again as I recognized the voice.

"Chase?"

 **Rubble POV:**

Coughing, I slowly got up. "Wh-" I stopped myself. _Don't talk. Don't talk. They might hear you._ Gulping, I tried looking around. My eyes began adjusting to the dark room. I saw everyone completely passed out on the ground. Sniffing the air, I picked up a strange scent. It didn't smell good either. Suddenly, I heard a groan. Turning, I saw Chase getting up. "Chase? Are you alright?" I whispered to him.

"Poi-" Chase coughed. "Poison. There's p-poison in the a-air. We h-h-have to get out of h-h-here." Chase said, coughing intermittently.

"I thought the air smelled weird. But, why is it only affecting you?" I asked. _I don't feel any different, I think._ Chase just shook his head. He looked extremely weak.

"There's no one outside, they left. Rubble, open a panel to let some air in he-" He went into another coughing fit before collapsing. Rushing over to the panel, I kicked it open. Sure enough, the room was empty and the door was closed. One by one, the pups and, eventually, Ryder, woke up. Chase was still coughing, so Ryder put his hoodie over his muzzle like a mask. "Thanks, Ryder. Now let's go find Skye and get the heck out of here!"

We formed a line and walked with a buddy system, in case anything went wrong. Chase with Zuma, Me with Rocky, and Ryder with Marshall. We made sure not to make too much noise since it was a ventilation shaft.

 ***hours later***

"Zuma," I groaned. My paws were killing me. "Are we there yet?"

Zuma then groaned and replied, "Since Chase has the best nose, he's our only chance of finding Skye. Only then can I lead us out of here." He looked over to Chase who was constantly whining and changing directions. "At least I hope so." Chase stopped and growled at Zuma.

"We ARE going to find her. I just... I... I keep losing her scent. It's been so long." His ears drooped.

Marshall then rushed over, tripping over his own paws making him flip over everyone and land next to Chase. "Don't worry, we'll find her. I think you need another nose up here." We looked over to Rocky.

He tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

"You're mixed, right?" Marshall said.

"Well, yeah. Why?" Rocky asked.

"Get your butt up here!" Zuma yelled.

"Yeah, you probably have a good nose!" Marshall said. Ryder and I both agreed.

"I don't even know _what_ I am! How could I have a good-" He paused as his ears perked. "Chase, do you hear that?"

Now it was Chase's turn to look confused. "Hear what, Rocky?" Chased moved his ears around frantically. We all did, except Ryder, him being human. Rocky started sniffing around the tunnel, ears moving in different directions.

"Chase, Marshall, what do you guys smell over here?" Rocky asked. They trotted over, both taking their time. Marshall suddenly jumped up.

"Ashes?" Chase nodded. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"I thought it was Skye. Guess my _nose_ isn't great, but..." Walking over to a panel, he placed one of his ears on it. "I can hear what sounds like a dog breathing in here." We all rushed over as Chase investigated.

"Her scent, or at least what's left of it, seems to be stronger here." Rocky decided to listen some more, just to be safe. Suddenly, the tunnel shook as the panel made a thunderous sound, sending Rocky running back to Ryder and making us all yelp. Chase sniffed again. "It's Skye!" He ran towards the panel.

"Wait, Chase! Don't-" _Too late,_ I thought. I watched Chase run full speed into the panel, headfirst. It broke open, but it sent him flying back into us.

Chase groaned, but quickly recovered and ran out of the new hole in the wall. "Skye?!"

 **Ryder POV:**

 _My dog is officially love crazed,_ I thought as I watched him run head first at the wall. It broke open, but still flung him back far enough to know us all over. He ran out of the hole and started barking for Skye. We didn't know what to expect, until we heard her wonderful voice.

"Chase?" As soon as I heard her, I ran forward, the rest of the pups behind me. Chase was licking Skye and barking happily, as was Skye. It was such a cute sight. All the dogs barked and howled, making them blush. I slowly picked Skye up and examined here.

"Nothing too bad, just some bruising. But, as soon as we get out of here, you're all going to the vet for a checkup."

"Awwwww, please, Ryder, no!" All the pups started whining. I shook my head.

"If you're gonna be my pups, you'll have to do as I say." Chase howled excitedly as he caught on to what I was saying. It took the other pups a few seconds to register, but when it did, I ended up on the ground, being licked to death.

 _ ***clap* *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap***_

I gasped and sat straight up. The lights came on as the clapping continued. As my eyes adjusted, I noticed a dark figure sitting in the middle of the bright white room.

"Congratulations, Ryder & pups. You've fallen for my trap." He turned, and we all gasped.

"Mayor Humdinger?!" I yelled.

"Yes, it is I, the Mayor of Foggybottom. I've been watching you the entire time. You all will need more training. You'll never stand a chance at war."

"War? What you mean 'war'? I thought you wanted us to be spies?" I asked.

"All you need to know is that you are going to become my elite group of soldiers and you are going to help me takeover Adventure Bay. Together, we shall create 'Foggybottom Bay'! Hahahahaha!"

"Y-you can't do that! I'm just a kid, and these are just little pups!" I pleaded with him.

"I'm sorry, but it's that, or death." The room fell silent. "What's it going to be, Ryder?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Ryder POV**

"OK, Mayor. We'll do what you say." I saluted the Mayor. The pups all gasped.

"But Ryder-" Chase whined before I hushed him. I gave him a wink hoping he would catch on. He smiled and sat next to me. "I agree, Mayor, sir!" Chase said, standing at attention. The other pups looked at us as if we were crazy.

"Excellent." The Mayor tapped his wrist and guards rushed in. "Escort Ryder and his pups down to their room. Make sure they are well cared for. When it's time for dinner, escort them down to the mess hall." He turned to leave. A panel opened up. Before leaving, he turned back towards me. "I'm really glad you decided to join me. Together, we can do anything!" And with that, he left. The guards took us to a large bedroom and left us alone for the time being. This gave the pups time to completely freak out.

"We're gonna die!" Rubble yelled.

"Ryder! Are you out of your mind?" Skye screamed.

"Guys, let's not get carried away." Rocky said. "Ryder and Chase know what they're doing." He smiled, but quickly frowned. Panic was written all over his face. He rushed over and tackled Chase. "WE ARE GETTING OUT OF HERE, RIGHT?!" He screamed at Chase. Zuma and Marshall pulled him off while I was deep in thought.

 _What have I done?_

 **Chase POV**

All the pups were freaking out, meanwhile, Ryder sat there in deep thought. _I sure hope you thought this through, Ryd-_. My thought's were interrupted by a grey blur. Suddenly, I was pinned to the ground by Rocky with Marshall and Zuma trying to pull him off.

"Chill, dude, I'm sure they've got a plan." Zuma said, smiling reassuringly.

"Chase, what is the plan?" Marshall asked.

I gulped. _What do I tell them? I don't have a plan? Ryder's gone crazy?_ "I-uh-uhm." I saw Skye with her head down, tears streaming down her face. "Skye?" Ignoring everyone else's panicking, I slowly trotted over to her. _I've never seen anyone but Ryder cry before..._ I sat down next to her, nudging her head. "Skye? Ar-are you alright?"

"NO!" I jumped back in surprise. The room fell silent. "No! I am not alright! You and Ryder just signed our death sentence!"

"I KNEW IT!" Rubble screamed before breaking down himself. Marshall and Zuma went to comfort him while Rocky covered his eyes with his paws.

"How could you do that?! We were so close! You could've refused and we would've found another way out!" She yelled.

"You heard what he said. It was either train or be killed! We chose what we did so we could live!" I barked.

"I WOULD'VE RATHER DIED!" She spat.

"I couldn't let that happen!" My heart was beating fast. _Do I tell her or not?_

"Why?" Instantly, I leaned in and licked her muzzle. Her eyes popped open like a balloon. My face felt hot and my ears pinned back. Marshall, Zuma, Rocky and Rubble all dropped their jaws. Ryder was too busy thinking to pay attention. Skye kept staring at me in disbelief. I opened my muzzle to say something, but shut it. Dropping my head, I went over to Ryder. He instinctively wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close. I whimpered and shut my eyes, not wanting to see or hear anymore.

 **Skye POV**

I watched Chase walk over. He sat away from all the rest of us pups. I was still in shock. _Chase loves me? Why? What does he see in a mangy pup like me?_ I walked over to what looked like a pup bed and curled up. _I shouldn't have yelled at him like that. Especially in front of the others._ I could hear the other pups whispering across the room. _Let them talk. I don't care anymore. I guess I'm stuck here forever._

 **Marshall, Rocky & Rubble POV**

The pups gathered in a corner away from the others. Rubble was constantly whimpering, Rocky was visibly shaking. Meanwhile, Marshall seemed completely fine. No visible signs of nervousness or anxiety. "Look, guys. I've been thinking and.. well.. maybe we should leave." Marshall said.

The two other pups stared at him for a bit. Rocky then sighed. "I think you might be right. I mean, look at where they've gotten us. Pupnapped, tortured, and soon, training to be soldiers? I don't want to hurt anyone, ever."

Rubble soon nodded. "I guess we should make a plan, then. But what about Ryder and Chase? What if they _do_ have a plan?"

"Well," Marshall said. "They'd better tell us soon. We're leaving tonight." Marshall began whispering his plan to the pups. Soon after, they walked over to Skye and told her of the plan. She looked over at Chase and nodded sadly.

 **3rd Person** **POV**

The kitchen staff were preparing dinner. Everything had to be perfect. Mayor's orders. In the dining hall, Katie sat at the table, impatiently waiting for her uncle. "I swear, uncle has gone mad. He wants me to train a kid and his dogs. How many again? 6? Ugh..." She slammed her hands down in frustration. "Uncle! If you don't show up in the next 5 minutes, I'm leaving!" she yelled. No sooner had she said that her uncle came rushing in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, my dear. Everything has to be perfect, otherwise the plan won't work." He took off his signature hat and sat at the table with his niece.

"Whatever. I just can't believe you have me training a bunch of dogs. I mean seriously, 1 dog is enough, but 6? Are you trying to stress me out?" Katie asked. Her uncle could tell she was very annoyed with the situation she was put in.

"I know, sweetie, but you've got to do it for me! It'll all be worth it in the end." A bell rung in the distance. "Ah, yes, finally. Dinner's ready!" Katie rolled her eyes and laughed at her overenthusiastic uncle. The doors opened and a boy walked in, followed by 6 dogs.

"Uncle, I thought you said they were full grown?" Katie asked, looking past Ryder and staring at the pups.

"Hey, we may be small, but we've got teeth!" Chase growled.

Katie screamed at the top of her lungs. "Demon dog! Demon dog!" She ran into the kitchen screaming.

Chase just looked at the Mayor. "Was it something I said?" Everyone laughed before sitting down for dinner. The Mayor was in a much better mood thanks to Ryder cooperating with him.

"Ryder, it's such a delight having you as a guest and no longer as a prisoner. Thank you for accepting my offer."

"It's not like I had a choice..." Ryder mumbled.

"What was that?" the Mayor asked harshly.

"Nothing, just glad to be here," he said through his teeth. The other pups picked up on this and began whispering to each other.

 **Pups POV**

"Chase, what's going on?" Marshall hissed, which is surprising for a dog.

"Yeah, I thought Ryder liked the Mayor?" Rubble questioned. "That's why Marshall, Rocky and I were going to leave without yo-" Rocky covered his muzzle.

"What?! Are you guys nuts? We made a plan to get out of here! We would never do anything to hurt anyone else!" Chase looked over at Skye. "Never." Skye just looked away. Sighing, Chase continued speaking. "Look, the plan is I'm going to create a diversion while Ryder grabs a knife. He's going to jump the Mayor and use him to get us out of here." The pups gasped but Chase shushed them. They were just out of earshot of Ryder and the Mayor and couldn't risk anyone overhearing.

"But what if the plan doesn't work?" Rocky whimpered.

"It will. You just have to trust me and Ryder." The pups looked at each other. They all looked nervous.

"I'm in." Skye said. Chase smiled and walked over to her. "I'm sorry for yelling at you Chase. I just.. I was shocked when you and Ryder agreed. I should've know you had a plan. I should've trusted you. I should-" Chase tackled her to the ground and began licking her face. "Chase! Stop!" Skye giggled.

"I-I love you, S-Skye. I'd never let anyone or anything hurt you." Chase said, blushing. The two cuddled for a moment before realizing they were being watched. Ryder, the Mayor and the other pups were staring at them.

"Awwwwww how cute. Maybe they'll have puppies. Anyway, time for dinner." The Mayor said.

 **Third Person POV**

"Chase," Ryder whispered. "Now!" Chase understood and followed closely behind the Mayor. The Mayor stopped suddenly, sensing something was wrong. He turned and saw the German shepherd behind him.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of being stalked?" he asked Chase.

"I'm, uh, really really hungry and I couldn't wait." He jumped into the Mayor's arms. "Are we eating soon?" He started licking the Mayors face, leaving him blinded with drool.

"Down boy, down! Ryder!" Ryder came forward and pulled out a railing from the bed in their room. It was short enough that he could have kept it hidden until now.

"Sorry Mayor." Ryder struck him in the head. The Mayor groaned and collapsed to the ground.

"You did it Ryder!" Chase yelled. All the pups howled, but Ryder hushed them.

"We're not in the clear yet, pups. We still need to escape somehow."

"Ryder, look! Car keys!" Rubble pulled them out of the Mayor's pocket.

"Great work, Rubble. But how are we supposed to get to the car without being spotted?"

"I can help you there." Everyone turned towards the kitchen door. Standing in the doorway was Katie.

"T-this isn't what it looks like." Ryder said. "You see, what happened was-"

"Save it, Spiky." she said to Ryder. "Look, I know all about you and your freaky dogs and what he did to you and I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything until now. I'll take you to the car, but you're on your own from there. The only place you could possibly go is Adventure Bay. I'll make sure nothing ever happens to you ever again."

Every conscious jaw in the room dropped. "Why should we trust you? You're his niece." Ryder said. The pups stood around him protectively growling.

"Actually, I'm not." She pulled out a card and handed it to Ryder. "Flip it over." On the back was a holographic image. It looked like a shield and it read 'PAW Patrol'.

"What's the PAW Patrol and how in the world are you _not_ his niece?" Ryder couldn't believe a word she said.

"All I'm allowed to say is that we've been monitoring you throughout this entire ordeal. The upper levels have deemed you worthy for a special job. We were going to have you removed until you and the pups went off the radar back at the holding cells. We were worried that Humdinger had found out about our operation." Ryder continued to stare at her.

"Look, I know this is a lot to take in. I'm only offering to get you out of here. If you follow the directions on the card, however, I can promise you that you won't regret it. We need people like you and the pups, Ryder, to help save lives. You could go home, forget about all of this and act like nothing happened. Or, you could train to be heroes."

Ryder felt dizzy. It was so much information to take in. "I-I need more time. Could we just go home? I promise I will think about it."

"Understandable." She pulled out a phone. "Sector 2, this is Sector 1 requesting removal, over."

"Sector 2 here, request granted." Ryder smiled.

"Ryder?" He looked down at the 12 eyes now staring at him. "Are we really going home now?" Chase asked.

Ryder smiled. He picked Chase up. "Yes Chase. We're all going home." Everyone cheered and howled.

 _Home._

 **AUTHORS NOTE**

 **FYI: This is _not_ the last chapter. There is one more. Stay tuned.**


	19. Chapter 19

Ryder was in bed, tossing and turning restlessly. He was having another nightmare.

 _'Are you going to help me or not?'_ Chase's voice echoed in his head.

' _All you care about is yourself!'_

 _'I'm sorry Ryder...'_ He screamed and sat up in bed. Chase hopped onto the bed and pushed him down. "Ryder! You're safe! It's alright." He began licking his face, making Ryder giggle and calm down.

"Thanks Chase." He pulled his pup into a hug. "Chase, what am I supposed to do?"

"About what?"

"Whatever this PAW Patrol thing is. Katie wouldn't tell me anything about it."

A long period of silence followed. "I don't know. We don't really have a home, let alone a place to keep five other pups. Maybe you should take it?"

"But what if it's another trick?" Ryder groaned. "This has all just been one big nightmare. First my parents, then my house. I thought I lost you." His eyes teared up.

Chase whined and snuggled closer to Ryder. "But I'm still here. I'll never leave you, no matter what." Ryder smiled and began to relax. "Maybe it won't be bad. Maybe it's not a trick. Maybe we'll actually help people like she said."

Ryder only sighed. Chase heard him snore. He had finally relaxed enough to sleep. Carefully moving away from his owner, Chase jumped down to the floor and walked carefully to where the other pups were sleeping. The PAW Patrol, whoever they were, had given them each a doghouse, complete with a soft, warm bed inside. Chase's was blue, his favorite color. Stretching, he crawled inside and fell asleep.

 _ **The next**_ **morning...**

"Thanks for meeting with me, Katie." They were in the nearby park. The pups were off playing, forbidden from speaking English so as to not draw unwanted attention. Directions from the PAW Patrol.

"No problem, Ryder. Is that about your decision?" Katie was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. Her hair was down and she was wearing sunglasses. Ryder was given a red and white jacket with a blue collar to wear, along with blue jeans.

"Sort of. I don't know if I want to join or not. I mean, I really appreciate the offer, not to mention you saving our lives. It's just, everything's changed so fast. There's so much I still don't know, so much you haven't told me."

"Like what?"

"Like, what in the world is the PAW Patrol?" Katie looked around cautiously. Sighing, she turned back to Ryder.

"OK, regardless of whether you join or not, which you should, everything I'm about to tell you is top secret. You can't tell anyone. Trust me, we have our ways. Do you understand?" Ryder gulped before nodding. "Good. And it's not 'the' PAW Patrol. Loose the 'the'. It was founded by Mayor Goodway a few years ago when crime rates were at an all time high in the town. You couldn't even walk outside your own house without getting robbed. One day, a kid and his dog stopped an armed robbery. No one knows the exact details, but the Mayor decided to take back her city. It was originally just going to be a few police offices and their dogs, but the dogs proved to be more capable than the humans. They never made mistakes and always got the job done. So, the Mayor fired all the emergency workers and made the dogs do it. Crime still exists, since no one is perfect, but every now and then, a job needs to be done. That's where the PAW Patrol comes in. They handle all the regular emergencies, but they also handle spy work, which is why, regardless of your decision, you can never speak of it again.

Ryder sat next to Katie in disbelief. "Let me get this straight. You're telling me that the Mayor of Adventure Bay hired a bunch of _dogs_ to act as emergency workers? And that your organization handles everything?"

"You summed it up pretty well."

"Is she crazy?! Dogs can't do everything! That's... that's not natural!"

"And yet, in front of your very eyes, there are six dogs that can speak English perfectly. Explain how natural _that_ is."

"Well-" Ryder shut his mouth. There was no explanation. There simply wasn't. Those six dogs talked because, well, they did? "Chase only speaks because of a freak accident, but the others..." Ryder sighed. "I see your point. It still sounds crazy though."

"As crazy as talking dogs?" Katie asked.

"Oh, you know what I mean." They sat together in silence for a while. "Katie?"

"Yeah?"

"I've decided." Ryder's heart rate increased rapidly as he turned towards Katie.

"You have? That's great! Tell me."

"I can't." Ryder's hand shook as he spoke.

"Why not?"

"I need to talk to the pups first before I make my final decision." Ryder was visibly sweating.

"Ryder, are you feeling OK? You're shaking." Ryder opened his mouth to speak. His eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed to the ground. "Ryder!" Katie caught him mid fall. "Pups! Get over here, now!" Katie screamed.

"What happened?" Rocky asked.

"Why is he shaking?" Zuma asked.

"What's wrong?" Marshall asked.

"We were playing tag." Rubble whined.

"Oh no!" Skye yelled. All the pups were talking and yelling at each other.

"Ryder?" Chase whined. Everyone stopped and looked to Chase. There were tears in his eyes.

"Chase, I don't know what's wrong. He was fine a few seconds ago." Chase wasn't listening. He slowly walked over to Ryder's limp body.

"R-Ryder. W-wake up. Please, w-wake up?" Chase pleaded and whined. He laid his head on Ryder's chest. The group could hear an ambulance in the distance. Katie had called 911. The paramedics arrived and lifted Ryder onto a stretcher. Chase couldn't contain himself. He lashed out at the nearest nurse, ripping one of his pant legs.

"I'm sorry," Katie said. The medic just nodded and rushed back to the ambulance. Chase tried to run after him, only to be picked up by Katie. "Chase, the paramedics have to take him to the hospital now. He's still breathing, but his heart rate is fast." Chase squirmed in her arms, struggling to break free. Soon, emotion took over and, what started as a whimper soon turned into crying. Katie held him like a child and walked to her car as the other pups followed. They couldn't believe that someone so brave as Chase could breakdown like that.

Soon, Chase calmed down and Katie placed him in the passenger seat. He was exhausted and fell asleep. The pups climbed into the back seat in silence. As soon as they were inside, Katie sped off towards the hospital.

* * *

Ryder was dressed in a hospital gown, lying back in a bed, when Katie walked in with Chase. She had to beg the nurses to allow Chase to come in. They eventually complied, much to Chase's satisfaction. "What did the nurse say about him being in a 'comma'?" he asked.

Katie giggled slightly. "It's 'coma' Chase. It's like he's asleep, except he can't wake up. They said he suffered a panic attack."

"Well, why was he panicking?"

Katie shrugged. "He told me he made a decision, but he was going to ask you and the other pups before he made anything final. It was then that I noticed he was sweating and soon, he just passed out."

Chase gulped. _Maybe he was worried about what we would say,_ he thought. Katie noticed his ears were pinned back. "Don't worry, Chase," she said, petting his head. "He'll wake up." She gulped. _At least, I hope he does,_ she thought.

Katie had left the other pups at her clinic nearby to their dissatisfaction. "Why does Chase get to see Ryder but not us?" Skye whined.

"Well, Chase _is_ Ryder's pup. We haven't been officially adopted yet." Rocky offered. Skye only sighed as Rubble and Marshall played with Callie. Zuma slept on a bed nearby. "Besides, we don't know if he's going to adopt us."

"He said he would." Skye snapped. "He better not go back on himself. I've been through too much, I'm _not_ letting this one go." Rocky only stared in shock. He'd never seen Skye this annoyed before.

Rocky just nodded and walked off, leaving Skye to cool down. She sighed and went outside to look at the stars. They had been waiting for hours, and with no sign of Katie or Ryder, she was getting worried. _What if he doesn't make it?_ she thought. _What if we never get adopted?_ A tear formed in her eye.

 _What if I never see Chase again?_ Whining, she curled up, deciding to sleep outside for the night.

 _With Ryder in a coma and five pups at my place, what am I supposed to do?_ Katie thought as she sat in the waiting room. Chase has passed out on Ryder's bed after insisting on sleeping with him. Katie took him with her when the nurses said they had to leave. He was still asleep in her lap, whining every now and then. _I can't keep six pups plus another kid at my house. It doesn't help that he has no parents._ Katie shook that thought away from her head as it brought back painful memories. _Maybe Mayor Goodway can help._ Smiling, Katie took out her phone.

"I need to speak with the Mayor. Tell her it's Katie." She began petting Chase as he moved around in her lap. "Hi Mayor, it's Katie."

"Katie! How have you been?"

"Well, things are a bit complicated right now, I could really use your help."

"Oh, I hate talking problems over the phone. Where are you?"

"At the hospital." She regretted saying that. Before she could provide more details, the Mayor screamed into the phone.

"What happened?! Are you hurt?! Are they treating you alright?! I'm on my way!" Before she could answer, the line went dead. Sighing, she put her phone away. _At least she's on her way._

Not five minutes later, the Mayor rushed in causing a scene. Katie carefully put Chase down on the chair before running over to her. "Mayor! I'm fine! Calm down!"

"Oh, thank heavens! Why on Earth are you here?"

"A friend of mine is in a coma. I'm taking care of his dogs."

The Mayor raised an eyebrow. "So you need help with the dogs?"

Katie sighed. "In a way. Let me explain." They sat down together at the far end of the waiting room as Katie went into an extremely over detailed explanation of everything that had happened. The Mayor listened patiently to her adopted daughter.

"So now I have no idea what to do. If he joins, great. But if not, he's homeless with six pups. I don't want that to happen, but it's his decision. I was wondering if there was anything you could do, regardless of his decision."

The Mayor sipped her warm coffee. Katie's story had taken all night to tell. The Mayor was surprised she didn't look more exhausted. "Honey, I think you need some sleep. Why don't you head on home. I'll watch Chase and let you know if anything happens with Ryder."

Katie was surprised at the Mayor's reaction. "But, what about what I said?"

"I'll put a lot of thought into what you told me. Right now, I'm more worried about your health as well as Ryders. Besides, didn't you say there were five pups at your house?"

Katie's eyes went wide as she groaned. "Oh no, I hope they haven't destroyed the place!" The Mayor laughed as Katie ran off.

* * *

As the sun shone through the windows at Katie's clinic, the pups were still fast asleep. Except for one pup. Skye had woken up early, hoping that at least Katie was back, but sadly, she wasn't. She ate some breakfast before sitting at the window to watch the sunrise. She sighed sadly, still worried about everything. Callie meowed as she hopped up next to her to bask in the sunlight.

"Yes, Callie, of course I'm still worried. Aren't you?" Callie meowed, licking her paws and cleaning her face. "What do you mean 'Why?'? Your owner has been gone all night!" Callie simply shrugged before leaping down and walking away. "Ugh, cats."

"Tell me about it." Skye jumped at the voice before realizing it was Rocky. "They're so annoying and shed fur _everywhere_."

"Geez, Rocky, you scared me." Rocky laughed as he joined Skye in watching the sunrise. Suddenly, both of their ears perked up. "Do you smell that?"

Rocky nodded. "Yeah, it smells like-" He was interrupted by the smoke alarm. "Fire!" They both leapt off the couch and headed to the living room.

'Wake the other pups, I'll find the fire!" Rocky howled as Skye went room to room, looking for the inferno. She heard Callie's faint meow. "Callie? Where are you?" Skye called out. The hallway was rapidly filling up with smoke. Skye heard glass break nearby and pushed the door to Katie's room open.

The room glowed red and orange as fire engulfed the curtains. Callie was wrapped up in telephone cord. Skye rushed over, coughing, and pulled hard on the cord, breaking it from the outlet. Putting Callie on her back, she ran to the living room where Rubble, Rocky and Zuma were.

"We've got to get out of here! Wait, where's Marshall?"

"We don't know! Let's go!" As they rushed out the door, Rocky grabbed Katie's cell phone she had left behind.

"Look!" Zuma yelled, pointing to the house. The fire engulfed the back side, causing a tree to light in the next yard. "We've got to warn the neighbors!" The pups all nodded and ran off in different directions. They could hear sirens in the distance.

Meanwhile, Marshall had found the hose and was dousing the flames as best he could. _Where is the fire department?_ he thought. Placing his paw over the end, he made a fan with the water and created a barrier, fencing in the fire. "Someone call 911!" he yelled, hoping someone would hear.

The other pups managed to evacuate the surrounding houses, after the neighbors got over the initial shock of talking dogs. They watched in awe as the pups ran around, barking orders to each other.

Katie had just pulled up and screamed in shock as she watched her house engulfed. _Ryder's going to kill me,_ she initially thought. Then, she saw all the pups running around. Marshall dousing the flames, Rocky using a fire extinguisher, Skye keeping the neighbors calm, and Zuma and Rubble throwing dirt onto what still burned. She smiled. _They're naturals._

Eventually, the fire was put out. Neighbors cheered and petted the pups, thanking them for their service. Katie decided to officially address the crowd. "Adventure Bay, I would like to officially congratulate the honorary PAW Patrol members on successfully completing their first service!" The crowd cheered more as the pups looked at each other. "I'm offering them and their owner a permanent job on the force, but sadly, their owner is currently in the hospital. Until he makes a full recovery and is able and willing to lead this team, I advise everyone to organize a temporary means of emergency services." With that, Katie walked over to the pups.

"OK, I know it was an accident, but who set my house on fire?" She asked the pups. Skye looked around and caught Callie trying to sneak off, still tangled in the telephone pole.

"She did! I caught her in your room when the fire started!" Katie picked up the struggling Callie.

"Oh, Callie. What am I going to do with you?" Callie merely meowed, making everyone laugh. "Come on, guys. We've got no reason to stay here." The pups piled into her car and she drove back to the hospital.

* * *

Ryder groaned as he opened his eyes. He felt something smooth and wet touching his face. Opening his eyes, he was greeted with Chase's face. "Chase, get down from there, he's still recovering." _Katie?_ As Chase got down from the bed, Ryder sat up and looked around.

"Good morning, Ryder. How do you feel?" Katie asked.

"W-where am I?" he asked.

As if on cue, the nurse walked in, surprised to see Ryder awake. She was even more surprised to see six dogs crowded around him. "Well, Ryder, I see you're feeling better. Your test results came back normal. The doctor believes it may have been dehydration along with increased anxiety. We're going to give you some fluids and let you head on home today."

The pups all howled and cheered until Katie shushed them. Smiling, the nurse left. Ryder still sat in bed, a little dazed. Chase hopped back up onto him and showered him with licks. "I missed you too, bud." he said, laughing. "I missed all of you." He looked at Katie and smiled. "Thanks for taking care of them."

"It was no problem. Well, _almost._ " Ryder looked at her confused. She flipped on the TV.

"Hello, Adventure Bay! We have some new updates regarding a fire at Katie's earlier this morning." Ryder gasped. "The owner of the pups that saved the surrounding homes belong to none other than Zack Ryder, Jr. Yes, folks, that's the same boy that was reported missing over a week ago. It's unclear what exactly he's doing in Adventure Bay, but rumor has it that he's going to become the leader of PAW Patrol." Katie turned the TV off before the reporter could say anything else.

"What does she mean 'leader of PAW Patrol'? I thought you just wanted me to join?" The pups wagged their tails, knowing something Ryder didn't.

"Ryder, I wanted to wait until you were fully recovered, but I guess now is a good time as any. I talked to Mayor Goodway, explaining everything that's happened to you. She agreed to let you be a permanent resident in Adventure Bay. She'll give you a nice house and everything you could possibly ever need."

Ryder had a huge smile on his face. "That's great! But, what does that have to do with PAW Patrol."

"I didn't exactly tell you all the truth when I was talking about PAW Patrol yesterday. Truth is, this town is small and no one is brave enough to provide service. But these pups, what they did today was amazing, and everyone is grateful for it. So, if you're willing, Mayor Goodway will give you everything you need to train these pups to make a real PAW Patrol to serve and protect Adventure Bay."

All the pups howled and cheered, except for Chase. He was still confused about everything. "What in the world is everyone talking about?"

"Chase, you'd make a great police pup. Marshall, obviously a fire pup. The other's we can find out their skills later. What I'm trying to say is we want you to help out the community."

Ryder had tears in his eyes. Here, a community he had never been in, was willing to accept him, all because of what he had been through and these pups that had risked their own lives to save others. He looked down at all the pups, smiling.

Chase placed his paw on Ryder's chest. "Well, Ryder?"

Ryder placed Chase down on the floor with the other pups. He stood up on the bed, smiling. "Pups, do you promise to serve and protect Adventure Bay, no matter what the challenge?"

Chase saluted and the pups followed his lead. "Ready for action, Ryder sir!"

"In that case, PAW Patrol is on a roll!" The pups howled and cheered along with Katie.

* * *

Nearby in Foggybottom, ex-Mayor Humdinger sat in prison, awaiting his trial. He slammed his fist against the bars in his cell. "Darn pups! All I wanted was my own army!" He paced back and forth. If he was convicted, he could face the death penalty. "I will have my revenge, one way or another." He paced back and forth in his cell. An idea struck him. "Guard! I get one phone call!" Sighing, the guard escorted him to the pay phone and handed him a quarter.

"One phone call. That's it. Your trial is tomorrow."

"One is all I need." He quickly dialed a number. He impatiently tapped his foot as the phone rang. "Come on, come one, pick up!" Finally, the phone clicked. "Finally! Brother! It's been too, too long! Listen, I need a favor..."

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading "Chasing Chase"! There is a sequel in progress. Visit Wattpad and search for "chasingchase_". From there, you'll find this, as well as the sequel and a few other stories, if you're interested. Until next time!**

 **~Dox**


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